Recent content by marooner

Hi all, I was looking into getting a GTX 970 Windforce 3X in SLI (each of them would cost about $350 for a total of $700), but recently AMD has slashed the pricing of their high-end cards. From what I know, this is the hierarchy of high-end cards purely based on performance (correct me if I'm...

No 5820k?

Neither are the most important. For graphics cards, the shaders, bandwidth, ROPs, etc. are more important. Basically, just go off of benchmarks. At your price point, I would suggest an R9 285, or, if you can pony up for it, an R9 290 or even a GTX 970.

I don't think that the R9 295X2 deserves a recommendation anymore. 2 GTX 970s or even 980s in SLI cost less, perform better, and even score better in the noise and heat department.

Hi all, Since the Haswell-E release, I've been itching for a new build. This is basically what it will look like: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($1049.99 @ Newegg) Motherboard: Asus RAMPAGE V EXTREME EATX LGA2011-3...

Stock is fine for cooling performance, as you can only overclock a tiny bit. However, if the temps begin to get too high or the noise is too much for you to handle, get a cheap aftermarket cooler.

Go to amazon, search "280X", and just click on the "used" link. Basically every one has some offer below $200. Some even go as low as $160. Same for GTX 770. Make sure that used is "like new". I've bought one "like new", and it has been great. Otherwise, here is the closest thing...

3-way crossfire r9 290 4k gaming build for $3200: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg) CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate 99.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: ASRock Z97...

Just save a little on everything and pony up for a good graphics card. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)...

Yeah, i7 is overkill.

Great build! However, I have a few suggestions: 1. Save money and get an R9 280X or pony up for an R9 290. 2. A 1600/10 8GB kit is not worth the money... Check out this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231655 3. Save money and opt for an ASRock Z97 Extreme4/6. If you...

Many people will urge you to take the ASUS out of pure brand recognition; ASUS used to be synonymous with the pinnacle of motherboard quality, but other manufacturers have caught up. I would choose the ASRock board. It's the best bang for the buck at this price point.

AMD cards are better than NVidia cards at this price point. Get the 280X or pony up for the 290.

What brand of R9 290 do you use? Don't just choose any random brand; the reference cooler on the R9 290 is one of the worst coolers ever, which is probably the cause of your issues. I suggest a Sapphire card, although ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, or Powercolor do well, too.

If this PC is used for gaming, I suggest something like this: i5-4690K: 4770K is an outdated processor. The 4790K replaces it, but the processor is overkill and too much money. Go with the 4690K for $100 less. It's also unlocked, and you won't see any difference when gaming (it has the same...